Revelation
by UltimoFiore
Summary: Sakura's life is turned upside down when she accidentally finds out a truth she was never meant to know. She puts everything on the line as she risks her life to make things right. The line between right and wrong grows thin as she struggles to rescue the ones she loves and bring them home once and for all. Rated M for later on!
1. Questions

Hello everyone!

I am very excited to post my new story. I think you will love the direction it takes! Please let me know what you think with reviews - good or bad they help me progress as a writer!

Any questions, feel free to message me!

I do not own Naruto

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If there was one thing she was good at, it was retrieving information.

She stood frozen, back pushed against the rough stone wall, listening intently. She was one with the shadows, practically invisible. A soft clicking of heels was approaching steadily and she held her breath as they neared, ringing louder with every step. A tall blonde woman, professionally dressed, hurried past with her eyes focused on a paper she carried. And then she was gone, as quickly as she had come, never noticing the shinobi standing five feet to her left in the dimly lit hall. Only then did the petite, masked girl slip out of the dark alcove. Silently, she continued the direction the woman had come, hyper aware of her surroundings. She listened carefully, ready to act on a moment's notice. Fluidly, she glided across the hard oak floor, searching through the dull illumination for her destination. The door she was searching for came into view and she clicked on her earpiece. Sliding up against the doorframe, she spoke so softly it was almost inaudible.

"Location secure. No issues. Heading in now."

"Copy. Everyone else stand by for further instructions," came a smooth, masculine voice. "Red, proceed as planned."

Sakura "Red" Haruno smiled briefly at the mention of her code name. Red was the name she was given for the fox mask that was molded to her face. She stepped in front of the door, placing her ear softly against it. She listened carefully for any sounds coming from beyond. There was only silence. Gently she reached forward and tried the handle. 'Locked, of course,' she thought to herself. However, she was prepared. She reached up quickly, pulling two large bobby pins from her hair. As she pulled them out, her long pink locks tumbled around her shoulders. With a quick glance down the hall, she swiftly set to work. Within seconds, the lock gave a soft click and she pushed her way inside.

The room was dark and musty. It smelled damp and had the cold, drafty feel of a dungeon. Leaning against the back of the door, she waited to sense any signs of life. Her eyes adjusted to the darkness as she observed the room through the eye-holes in her mask.

The room was large, which was to be expected. From the information they had been given going into the mission they were to search for a library. However, she hadn't expected this. The amount of scrolls stored here was unlike anything she had ever seen. There were shelves upon shelves of them. What's more is that there were even large piles started on the floor, in far corners, and on any stool, table, desk, and surface that she could see. 'How the hell does anyone find anything in this place?' She thought, mouth curling into an annoyed frown behind her mask. Luckily, she had a general idea of what they were looking for. Still, with this much ground to cover, it could be very much like finding a needle in a haystack.

Stepping forward lightly, she scanned the room. There didn't appear to be any traps but she needed to be sure. In a flash, she threw kunai down a long row of shelves and they stuck in the far wall with a dull thud. She dropped to a crouch and waited. Nothing happened.

Still unsure, she got up and made her way over to her kunai carefully. When all appeared to be normal, she yanked them out of the wall and smirked. 'I guess Danzo doesn't think there is anyone skilled enough to get this far,' she thought to herself.

It was rare that she was assigned to missions as the stealth specialist of the squad. It was extraordinarily rare when the missions took place within her own village. It wasn't that she was unqualified for stealth missions, quite the contrary, actually. It was just that her medical skills were frequently in need on ANBU squads and she was assigned as such. Turning on the ball of her foot, she began scanning the room in sections. Even though she knew what to look for, there was a lot of ground to cover. However, she had barely gotten a quarter of the way through, when her trained eye caught a glimpse of gold on one of the shelves above her.

'Bingo,' she thought with a satisfied smirk.

Up high, in the middle of a shelf that looked identical to the rest, a scroll stuck out just barely farther than those surrounding it. However, this particular scroll was the thickest upon the shelf, taking up much more space than the others. Etched into the end, in the center of the scroll, was a golden leaf.

Now it wasn't just any leaf, this was the symbol of the hidden leaf village, the very same that was inscribed into the headbands of all shinobi who protected it. It was small but Sakura caught it. Her shishou didn't pick her for this mission on accident, after all.

She scaled the bookcase easily, placing her feet gently onto shelf after shelf, using her upper body strength to pull herself up, up and up. She avoided using any chakra so as to not draw attention to herself. The building was, after all, heavily guarded. Grabbing the scroll, she tucked it safely under one arm. Bracing herself, she jumped with a light 'huff,' barely making a sound.

"The target has been acquired," she whispered into the microphone. "Retreating. Stand by."

"Copy," came the same familiar male voice as earlier.

She turned to leave, tucking the scroll safely onto her belt. She took a last look around, marveling at the sheer size of the room. As she was turning to leave, a quick pulse of chakra flashed and Sakura tensed. Spinning around in a defensive position, she scanned the room, ready to fight whoever may be approaching. But as quickly as the chakra had been there, it was gone. Confused, she stood extremely still, listening intently to pick up signs that anyone was there. She was met with only silence. Normally she would send out her own chakra to scan the surroundings but it was too risky, someone could feel it and come to investigate.

Worried now, she quickly prepared to leave, never letting her guard down. She knew it couldn't have been her imagination, she was too trained to have just imagined the chakra spike. "But what was it then?" She couldn't help but wonder to herself. Making sure to leave no sign she was there, she backtracked the way she came, triple checking to make sure nothing was amiss. When she was almost to the door, something caught her eye. She wasn't even sure how she saw it, but there it was.

Hardly believing her eyes, she moved closer to get another look. 'I'll be damned,' she thought to herself. She knew any hesitation could compromise the mission but she also knew it wasn't likely she would have another chance to come back here again. Without one more thought she reached out and grabbed another scroll, tucking this one safely inside her pouch.

She hurried to the door, pausing briefly to lock it, and slipped out into the hall once more. The compound was large but had a relatively simple design. Like a ghost, Sakura melted into the shadows once more, never to be seen unless she wanted to be. She easily maneuvered the building, staying hidden from any guards. Never again on the way out did she feel that mysterious chakra she had felt in the library. Before long, she found herself outside. Fresh air assaulted her senses and she resisted the urge to take off her mask. She quickly made her way across the large yard and over the wall with no trouble.

As soon as she arrived in the designated clearing, three other Shinobi landed silently around her. She quickly flashed the scroll as proof she completed the mission. Her team leader stared at her through his dog shaped mask, spiky silver hair illuminated by the full moon. She knew he wanted to talk about the mission, but they couldn't here. She gave him a small nod and the squad leapt off into the trees.

They zoomed through the sleeping village at a lightning fast pace, never making a sound. They didn't speak, only flashed brief signals when necessary. They were essentially invisible. As they crossed the rooftops of sleeping villagers, the Hokage tower drew nearer. A light was on in the highest part which was their destination.

Tsunade stared at the far wall of her office, an anxious look on her face. Her elbows were resting on the desk with her hands laced under her chin. Just as she was about to get up, four Shinobi flashed into her office through the window. She stood immediately. They all kneeled in front of her.

"Report," she commanded firmly.

The Shinobi on the end stood, speaking in his usual smooth tone. "The mission was a success. No complications have been noted. We retrieved the object in question."

"Good work," Tsunade said with a nod. The man looked down at the girl kneeling next to him through his dog-shaped mask. She stood, holding out the scroll for the Hokage to take.

The Godaime gently took the scroll and placed it among her things on the large desk behind her. She turned back and nodded to the four ANBU. "You have done well," she said, turning to face the tall, silver haired man to her right. "I expect a full report on my desk first thing in the morning. You are dismissed."

Two of the people disappeared in a flash, save for Sakura and her team captain, none other than the copy-nin himself, who hung back a moment. He stared at Sakura for a few seconds, their eyes meeting briefly, before he too disappeared out the window in a flash. Sakura knew what his stare meant. He was curious about why they had just infiltrated one of the most highly guarded places within their own village and he expected her to tell him. She made a mental note to seek him out the next day to talk. She knew the Hokage wouldn't mind her telling him now that the mission was over, as Kakashi was someone both Sakura and her shishou trusted deeply. But he was going to have to wait, she had bigger things on her mind at the moment. Tsunade took her place at the desk, not looking up at the girl standing before her. With a heavy sigh, she pulled a large bottle of sake out of one of the drawers. Sakura removed her mask, setting it on the Hokage's desk in front of her. She eyed the bottle of sake disdainfully, but didn't say anything in protest. Long ago, she learned that no matter what she said or did, her shishou would never change her ways.

Tsunade looked up when she was finished pouring herself a glass, not bothering to offer one to her student. "What do you need, Sakura?" She said with a tired edge to her voice. Sakura just raised an eyebrow and her gaze shifted to the scroll they had just retrieved. The blonde followed her gaze and sighed, once again. She closed her eyes and drained the glass in one long swig. She leaned back in her chair, folding her hands behind her head. "You know as well as I do that Danzo cannot be trusted," she said after a minute. "You also know that of the classified scrolls in the library, a few were missing. This was one of them."

Sakura figured as much. She had, after all, been the one to organize the classified scrolls of the Hokage's library along with Shizune. There was an entire sector of the Hokage tower dedicated to important reports of past missions and village dealings. It was off limits to all but a very few select people. Besides the Godaime herself, Sakura, Shizune, and the elders, no one was permitted to enter. The elders hadn't even wanted her and Shizune in there but Tsunade insisted that they were to organize it.

If anything had ever happened where they needed to look up a specific piece of information, it would take weeks to find it the way it had been. There was no way she could find the time to do it herself, with all the other duties required of the Hokage. Begrudgingly, the elders agreed to permit Shizune and Sakura access as long as once they were finished, they wouldn't frequent visiting the place. Sakura had initially been annoyed when she first received the assignment, seeing how neglected the place had become over the years. She knew it would take them months to sort through the literal mountains of documents on their own. However, as time went on, she became more and more fascinated by the information stored there. She had always been one to enjoy acquiring new knowledge, as she had very nearly been through all the books in the public libraries of the village. It was rare she was seen without a book in her spare time, soaking up as much as she could learn. She had always been that way, ever since she was a little girl. It was why she excelled at the academy and how she learned so many medical techniques.

When she had been assigned to the mission to obtain the scroll and the details were described, she had instantly known what they were looking for. Every one stored in the Hokage's library had been inscribed with the same leaf on the end. That was why it was her who was chosen to enter Danzo's compound to retrieve it while her squad waited outside, ready in case she were caught.

Sakura picked up the scroll, unrolling it just enough to see where it fell into order among the others. It was marked 3-184. She closed it and bowed to her sensei. "Would you like me to put it away, among the others?" She asked, looking to her blonde teacher expectantly. Tsunade sat up and rubbed her tired eyes. She nodded once. "Yes, if you don't mind. I won't have time to read it in the coming days. I have a large stack of paperwork that I just can't put off any longer," she said, annoyance clear in her tone. "I looked at the number, I will retrieve it when I have time to read it thoroughly. Besides, it wouldn't be wise to leave it laying around here. Too many people come and go."

Picking up her mask as well, she bowed low, bidding her teacher a goodnight. She turned and left the office, but instead of going toward the exit, she turned and began walking down the long hallway leading to the stairs. She walked on and on, spiraling downward toward the library. Finally, she came upon the tall wooden doors and stopped. She made the necessary hand signs and the seal broke, unlocking the door. Her and Shizune had placed a new seal, in light of the missing documents. She made her way inside and turned on the light. The blinding fluorescents slowly blinked to life, causing her to shield her eyes against the harshness of them. She made her way over to the shelves with the scrolls of the Third on them and placed the missing addition where it belonged.

There were 7 missing in total. It had been troubling Tsunade ever since Sakura had reported it to her. Every scroll was marked with a number, indicating which Hokage had been in power during the document's creation. Then, separated by a dash was another number, indicating the sequence of which the document was created. For example, if Tsunade were to have an official document stored in there it would be marked 5- and then whatever number the document count was up to for her. Most of the missing documents were from the time of the third Hokage's reign. When learning this information, Tsunade had immediately suspected Danzo based on his feelings toward the Third. Having once been his student, she had learned of Danzo's negative disposition on the way the Third ruled and his views long ago.

Ever since the discovery, Tsunade had been reading through most of the scrolls from his time. She had been especially interested in ones that were around the missing ones. Sakura had offered to help her read through some of the longer and tedious reports but Tsunade had turned her down. She stated that Sakura had more important things to focus on, such as missions, training, and finishing up in the library. She didn't really care, they didn't contain anything she was interested in she knew, though she understood why Tsunade was worried. Some of the scrolls had information that couldn't fall into the hands of the enemy. If any of them had fallen into enemy hands and they had sensitive information in them, such as, missions that were performed against them in secret or about any information they have received, it could cause strain between the villages. It was all information better left sealed where enemies wouldn't be able to find it.

Though, Tsunade had mentioned to Sakura that she believed Danzo had destroyed the missing scrolls. They figured there must have been sensitive information in them about Root or other dealings he did not want future Hokages to see. Root had been disbanded during the Third's reign but the current Hokage was not fooled. She had suspicions about the current activities of Root and that Danzo was still running secret operations. This was confirmed when Sakura had discovered the tattoo on the back of Sai's tongue during a routine physical. He hadn't been able to tell her anything about it. However, Kakashi had told her he believed it was to keep Root members from relaying important information about Danzo's activities. The missing information about Danzo among the Third's scrolls only farther confirmed these suspicions. The ANBU team had been assembled and that was what led to their mission. They only needed to find one scroll to confirm Danzo was behind the others going missing. The Hokage didn't want to risk their exposure by wasting time gathering more than one. All she needed was tension to gather within the village walls.

However, risky as it was, Sakura didn't doubt for a minute that if what was contained within this one was important, her shishou would send them back in to look for more. This was to basically confirm that was where the scrolls were being held, if not destroyed.

In recent months, Sakura had become increasingly interested in the Hokage's private library. It had taken her and Shizune a long time to get through the majority, but now that they were finally almost done, Sakura had insisted on finishing up herself, allowing Shizune more time to help Tsunade. However, Sakura had her own reasons for not wanting Shizune around while she finished. They weren't technically allowed to read the information contained within most of the documents. The elders had made it very clear that if they were to read them, there would be serious consequences. At the time, Sakura had rolled her eyes. She didn't think there would be any reason she'd even want to read through boring political proceedings, law changes, and old mission reports. Though she quickly realized there was more stored there than originally met the eye.

Placing the scroll back in its rightful place, she made her way to the other side of the library. Here, they were still organizing and sorting dealings of the clans within the village. They were kept separate than regular village dealings because they specifically had to do with clan politics, exchanges, hierarchy within the clans, some minor intelligence, and lists of the names of people officially belonging to each clan by birth. At this point, they had the majority of the scrolls separated into large piles by clan.

She had recently been shelving them by alphabetical order and she was almost at the end. She had to unroll the scrolls some to find the date they were written to put them in order by time. As she went along she would read tid-bits of information from scrolls, some of them catching her interest more than others. The Hyuuga clan was one of the most interesting clans. They had, by far, the largest number of scrolls stored here than any of the others. There was information dating back to the very early days of the village. Sakura had read an interesting scroll about the decision of making the branches. There were far too many scrolls to read without the elders getting suspicious of what she was doing down here and why it was taking so long. However, they hardly ever checked on her and once in a while she would get lost in the information, spending whole days down here. Finally, now nearing the end, she had come across the clan she was most interested in.

She was truly fascinated by clan life and politics. Growing up in the civilian district, she always wondered what it would be like to grow up in a clan. Back when she was younger she was jealous of, yet awe-struck, by the children who came from prominent clans. She could vividly remember the rare occasions where her mother would take her into the main village market where everyone in the village from prominent shinobi to begging civilians went to trade and buy anything one would need. Her family didn't have much extra money but on occasion they'd go to the market to buy spices, fabric and sometimes even let Sakura pick out a toy.

Whenever they would go, there would be children her age, accompanied by others from their clans. She was always fascinated by the unique eye color, traits, and attire they displayed. Her mother would pull her past the stands and shops with shinobi gear and attire that the children from the clans were always wielding. They would pass by kids competing with their brand new kunai and shuriken. She could remember the feeling of envy she had for them. Her mother was stern on her "no weapons" policy, but Sakura was persistent. Everytime they would go, she'd drag her mother by the hand to the weapons booth and beg for her to buy her something. Naturally, her mother was horrified. She came from a long line of civilian women, where sweet little girls played with cloth dolls, not objects that could kill a grown man if wielded correctly.

Her father, however, was not civilian. He had belonged to a small clan, hardly known but loyal. Most of them had been killed during the third shinobi war, leaving only himself and a younger brother. For a long time in his youth, he served the village as a shinobi. Before Sakura was born, he had been partially blinded during a mission. Forced to retire, he moved himself and his wife to the civilian district and picked up regular work. However, it was not so foreign to him for children to grow up wanting to become ninja. While it was custom on her mother's side for daughters to be raised as wives of shinobi, it was not the custom on her father's side. His own older sister, Sakura's aunt, had died in the line of combat at the age of 18. Because of this, he had gone along with his wife's plan to raise his daughter to become a respectable wife for a strong, prominent shinobi clan someday. After all, it was safer that way.

However, he adored his daughter more than anything. When he saw the way she struggled in civilian life, he started to wonder if the path they chose for her really was best. She wasn't like the other girls, playing sweetly in the flowers. She was always dirty from head to toe, running with and challenging the boys in their neighborhood and often winning. It was common for her to come home at dinner with bruises and cuts from a brawl with the neighbor boy. She was fierce and while it made her mother crazy, it made him intensely proud. That was when he knew there was no fighting it any longer.

For her 7th birthday, he secretly gave her her first shuriken, making her promise to be careful with it. He didn't tell his wife but she found out soon enough when Sakura came home with a huge gash on her arm. She didn't speak to him for days but soon it was clear even to her that this was the right path for their daughter. Begrudgingly, they decided they would enroll their precious daughter in the ninja academy. She started late, almost 2 years after the other children in her class. At first, she struggled, not being able to keep up with children who were conditioned since birth for that life. Her father worked with her frequently to improve her skills and eventually she caught up. She wasn't the best in her class physically but what she lacked there she made up with her knowledge.

Her mother never understood why she would want such a life. She tried to get it but it was hard for her. Because of this, her and Sakura's relationship struggled. Especially after she had come home bloody and beaten with her hair chopped off from the chuunin exams. Sakura thought she would never talk to her again. She defied her mother's wishes every chance she got. But through the years, they have come to understand each other more. When she finally made ANBU with Kakashi's help, her mother had gotten teary eyed and told her how proud she was of her. It was a turning point in their relationship and ever since they've been spending time lost being bitter by spending time together more frequently, making new memories.

While her mother was just starting to accept her position as a shinobi, her father was fierce in his pride. He couldn't boast enough about his strong little cherry blossom. Sakura always laughed at the contradiction, as cherry blossoms were frail even among other flowers. She didn't mind though. On the contrary, she was glad her father was so openly proud of her. He was her biggest advocate and her best friend. However, a few months before making ANBU, her father fell tragically ill. He had been admitted to the hospital where his heart gave out after just two days. It had happened so suddenly that Sakura was a mess. On the verge of a breakdown, without her closest friend in the village, she took solace in spending time with her mother more. They both grieved together and eventually Sakura came back to normal.

Sakura came back to the task at hand, realizing she had been deep in thought. She was surprised to feel tears on face. She shook her head and smiled, wiping the tears away with the back of her hand. 'I miss you, daddy,' she thought to herself. She looked down and continued her work, the growing list of people she missed always on the back of her mind. She picked up the next scroll in the Uchiha pile. There wasn't many more left she noted. At first, she ready them because of mere curiosity as the Uchiha had always been something of an enigma of hers. Especially after she was put on a team with Sasuke. She had always been curious about his bloodline trait. As a medic that interest grew even more. The interest in the sharingan and the massacre that drove Sasuke into his path of destruction had been what made her even read the scrolls in depth. All the information was interesting to her. She read sections about Madara Uchiha, the founder of the clan, the beginnings of the Konoha police force, and the succession of leaders throughout the clan's time. It all intrigued her but it was just all additions to information she already knew.

It wasn't until she came upon the most recent scrolls in the collection did she find anything that really caught her attention. Starting from the time of about ten years before her birth, she noticed that the information in the scrolls became longer and more distraught. There was unrest amongst the clan. People weren't happy with the way the clan was being run, there were many reports filed with the Hokage of meetings with village leaders over many varying issues. Beyond the time of the Kyuubi attack, the unrest was at an all-time high. It especially peaked when the Uchiha were moved into their own compound. Sakura had found this bit of information especially interesting.

She had always believed the Uchiha had moved into the compound to train amongst themselves. Many prominent clans were proud of their abilities and preferred to keep away from the rest of the village. However, that was not the case with the Uchiha. They were forced to move to the compound. The specifications weren't clear but it appeared that the move had something to do with the attack on the village. It almost seemed to Sakura that the Uchiha were being blamed for the attack in some way. The scrolls also started to become more unclear. It was as if certain information was being purposely left out of the scrolls. The entire tone of them changed, as if what was being written was being filtered.

Something seemed off but Sakura couldn't figure it out. She began reading all the information more in depth, sometimes reading entire scrolls. It was clear something had happened with the Kyuubi attack on the village that changed the clan. She figured it all tied into the move into the compound but there wasn't enough information. She knew that they wouldn't wright everything in these scrolls that went on because they were only official village documents so that the village could keep tabs on the history of the clans. For that reason, she knew that if there was some unrest among them and it was in any way against the village it would never be recorded. She felt like this newly acquired information was important but she didn't understand why. She knew she should just move on but she couldn't stop thinking about the unrest among the Uchiha.

That was why, two nights before this one, she had snuck into the Uchiha compound in the middle of the night. She didn't know what she was looking for, more information she supposed. It was dead quiet, a true ghost town. Sakura had walked among the empty houses, searching for what exactly she did not know. Before she knew it, she was standing in front of the home she knew to be Sasuke's.

She had been there a few times to meet Sasuke in the old days of team seven. However, she had never been inside his house. Too do so now would be strange so she stood outside, staring up at the dark windows that at one time a young Sasuke had looked out of. Eventually, curiosity got the best of her and she stepped up to the front door. She tried the handle but the door was locked. She walked around the side of the house where another door was. She tried the handle once again. To her surprise it was unlocked. She stepped inside, taking in the dark outline of the furniture in what looked to be a sitting room.

It smelled musty and cold. It was obvious no one had been there in some time. The moonlight streamed in through a window and she could see the thick layer of dust clinging to almost every surface. She slowly made her way into what looked to be the kitchen. The low table stood in the middle of the room, four mats surrounding it. Sakura smiled at it sadly, imagining Sasuke and his family sitting around it when he was young.

She was torn between hating and missing her ex-teammate terribly. Some days she wanted nothing more than for him to walk through the village gate, raven hair shining in the sunlight. Other days she wished that he'd get struck by lightning so the pain and suffering he has caused the people she loved most would be put to rest. They tried for years to bring him back. Every time they failed miserably. Naruto, Kakashi, Sai and herself made countless plans to bring him home, always getting their hopes crushed. When they heard he had killed Orochimaru, they all figured he would come home or go straight after Itachi. However, they were wrong in both aspects. He had fallen completely off of the grid. They couldn't find him anywhere.

It was so bizarre. Tsunade had done everything she could to find him but there was no intel on their ex-teammate at all. Naruto had gone crazy not knowing what had happened to him. He became distant and less like the happy kid he had once been. Sakura and Kakashi had done what they could to brighten his sprits but it was no use. He focused on his training and became distant. It made Sakura sad to see him so distraught.

Then the Akatsuki had been on the move a few years back. Jiraiya had gone to investigate a lead on their leader in the hidden rain village. He never returned. The Elder Toads had come back from the battle to pass along the news of his death. That was the tipping point for Naruto. He left the following day, claiming he couldn't stay in Konoha any longer knowing Sasuke could be out there somewhere. Sakura and Kakashi had begged him to let them come with him but he had refused. That was three years ago and she had only heard from him once in a letter he wrote to let them know he was fine.

She couldn't take the heartache from having Naruto gone. He was the only one who truly understood her. She knew she'd never find a friend as true as him and missed him dearly. But she also knew it was for the best. He couldn't stay in the village anymore, it was sucking the happiness out of him, not doing anything about Sasuke. To distract herself from the pain his leaving caused her, she trained with Kakashi nearly every day since then. She had gotten strong enough to finally become ANBU about a year ago. Then her father died, setting her back some. She ended up using her sorrow to propel her forward. Training and taking missions kept her mind busy and helped keep her from dwelling on all those she missed.

It wasn't all bad, though. Her relationship with Kakashi had improved over the years. Since Naruto left, he had spent most of his free-time in her company. She knew he was worried about her. But mostly she knew he was worried about Naruto too and she was the only one who understood. He helped train her to a level that was on par with his own and she knew he had come to respect her as a shinobi. He was one of the only people left in her life that she truly cared for along with Tsunade, her mother and she supposed Sai as well.

There was a bright side to all that had happened, however. The Akatsuki basically fell off the face of the Earth after Jiraiya's battle. He had apparently killed the Leader's partner during the battle and seriously diminished the stock of insane "clones" the leader had of himself. Tsunade suspected that he was regaining his strength within the hidden rain but they hadn't been able to prove that they were still there at all. All intel on them died out and it seemed as though they disappeared all-together. Sakura knew it wasn't permanent and eventually they would be back to hunt down and suck the life out of her best friend. For now, it was a relief to know they weren't on the move while Naruto was away from the protection of the village.

She was so lost in thought about all the had happened between her team that she hadn't noticed she had walked into a different section of Sasuke's home. She peered into an open door to her right and squinted through the darkness. Immediately she sucked in a sharp breath. It was Sasuke's room, there was no doubt about it. Slowly, she stepped forward to come upon a small bedside table. There was a picture frame placed there, covered with a thick layer of dust. She didn't even have to pick it up to know what the picture was of. Still, she reached forward slowly, almost automatically, and gingerly picked the picture up. Bringing it up to in front of her face, she pursed her lips and blow lightly, uncovering the colored photo beneath the dust. It was the old picture of their team when their journey as shinobi first began.

Suddenly her knees felt weak. It had been quite some time since she had seen this picture. She still had her own copy, of course. It was packed away, buried deep within her closet. She had put it there when Naruto had left. She stared at the picture with a stony look on her face. They had all changed so much. The chubby-ness of her childlike face was gone. Her hair was longer now than it was in the picture, having grown it back out after the chuunin exams. Naruto was even different than this picture by the time he left. Much more serious than the kid who graduated from the academy. He had grown taller and was beginning to build muscle. She could only imagine how much older he must look now, three years later.

She looked at Sasuke and felt sick. This was the face she knew, probably long since matured and aged. That is if he was still alive, which was doubtful. She couldn't help feel a longing for her team to all be whole again. She knew nothing could repair all the damage but she couldn't help but hang on to the ever thinning thread of hope within her that they would all come together again someday.

Setting the picture back down, she felt a sense of urgency within her. She knew she couldn't stay here any longer, the ghosts of her past were much stronger here. She could feel them starting to pull old feelings out of her and she couldn't bear to let them overwhelm her. Walking backwards away from the photo, she turned into the hall and rushed forward, not remembering the way out. She saw a door at the end of the long hallway and rushed to it. To her dismay it was another bedroom. She was about to turn and run in the other direction when she froze to the spot. Her eyes widened and she could only think of one word. _Itachi._

Her heart sped up. Why hadn't she thought of this before? Her hatred for Sasuke's brother was strong but she had nearly forgotten he had once lived a normal life within these walls as well. Well, as normal as a prodigy's life could be, she supposed. She turned stiffly and peered back into the room, almost afraid of what she would see. However, a tidy, plain bedroom stared back at her. There was nothing menacing about it, besides the fact it once belonged to the very man to slaughtered his entire clan in one night. For a murderer's room, it appeared pretty normal. What tipped her off as to who the past occupant had been were the neatly hung ANBU uniforms in the opened closet directly in view from the door. Other than that there was a small bed, a handsome wooden desk with an identical chair, and a pair of forgotten sandals in the corner. Everything was neat and clean. It was entirely too ordinary in Sakura's mind. But what had she expected? Blood smears on the walls and scrolls containing forbidden jutsu? Well kinda, she admitted to herself sheepishly.

Though from what she knew of Itachi, right up until the time of the massacre he was an incredible shinobi. Not only that but he was known for being polite, respectful, and quiet Kakashi had told her. It was a shock to the village when he committed the crime that he had. So it would make sense his life at home seemed structured and normal. After all, he was supposed to become head of the most prominent clan in the village at one time. No one, not even his own parents, probably would have let an obvious lunatic step up to such a position.

As she was standing in the threshold of Itachi's bedroom, a thought struck her. He was an ANBU member so records of his missions would be recorded in the Hokage's private library. After she had left the compound, she had gone straight to the Hokage tower that night, a new mission in her head.

What she had discovered disturbed her. The disturbing part was that there was nothing odd about the missions Itachi was given. He was a normal, though extraordinarily skilled shinobi. It wasn't until a few days later that she had read a bit of information that stuck out to her. In one report, Itachi had acted strangely and their team leader at the time had chalked it up to "stress from conflicting orders outside of the mission." However, nothing else was noted about side orders Itachi had been given. The person who had written the report was a Uchiha Shisui, a person whose name she didn't recognize. She looked through more mission reports, but there weren't any more incidents reported.

That when she got the idea to read through the scrolls from the same time of the third Hokage's reign. She had found some information on the Uchiha clan but nothing about Itachi in particular. There were reports of the leader reporting to the Hokage about dealings with the Konoha police force but they were formal at best. That's when she noticed a few scrolls were missing. The ones lining up with the timing of the ANBU mission report of Itachi's strange behavior, in particular. She thought it was coincidence but when she began reading through the records direct from the Uchiha clan and a few of those scrolls were missing too, she began to wonder.

That's when she decided to tell her mentor about the missing scrolls. She had left out the part about her reading them to find out more about Itachi Uchiha. She knew her shishou would be suspicious of Sakura's emotional state. It had taken her so long to get over her teammates abandoning her, she didn't want Tsunade to think she was dwelling on it again. That's why she left out the information about some of the Uchiha clan scrolls being missing. She felt bad for withholding information from her shishou but she knew that she'd probably be reluctant to allow Sakura to continue her work in the library if she knew for fear that she'd become depressed over thoughts of Sasuke's departure.

Tsunade's reaction to the missing scrolls had made Sakura even more curious. It was clear she had some idea of the information that was contained within them and that was why she had sent an ANBU squad to retrieve them. Sakura also found it interesting that she thought Danzo was behind the theft. What did it all mean? What could Danzo have to do with Itachi Uchiha acting funny while on an ANBU mission before slaughtering his entire clan? She wasn't completely sure but she knew it was all connected somehow and she was determined to solve the mystery.

She knew it had to be late, as she still sat in her usual spot deep within the library. She pulled out the second scroll she had found within Danzo's library. She turned it over in her hands, examining it. On the end, the same place the other scroll had a golden leaf stamped, was the Uchiha symbol. It was intricately hand carved into the dark wood. It matched the ones currently in the library that she had been sorting through for days. Slowly she unrolled it, eager to see the date she already knew to be there. It was one of the missing ones she had been searching for. She began skimming through the writing, looking for anything out of the ordinary. Her eyes fell on the name she had been hoping to see and she held her breath. Itachi was mentioned in the scroll just as she had hoped.

She slowed down, eyes jumping back up the page. She read more thoroughly now. The passage read:

 _The meeting between the clan elders went uneventfully. It was determined that Itachi Uchiha does not have to attend the meetings from this point on if it interferes with his work with the Hokage or missions within ANBU. His position of status holds importance to the Uchiha clan and will be helpful when he takes over as clan leader._

 _However, many Uchiha feel as though his loyalty to the clan should be of greater importance. They were over-ruled by the majority in the voting that determined whether or not he should attend all future clan meetings. Fugaku explained the importance of his son's role close to the Hokage. The majority agreed with him._

The passage goes on to explain how the rest of the meeting went, going into detail about other minor clan issues.

Sakura was confused. Why was it so important for Itachi to stay close to the Hokage? The Uchiha knew these scrolls would be held in the Hokage tower as they required record of any clan meetings that went on, so they wouldn't put sensitive information in these scrolls. Sakura had a feeling that much was being left out of Itachi's story.

She placed the scroll onto the table, stood and stretched. She decided she would continue her work tomorrow. If anyone saw her emerging as the sun was rising they'd probably question why she stayed in the library all night. Plus, she had a long shift at the hospital in a few hours. Walking to the door, she shut the light off and left, placing the seal on the door before starting her walk home.

She wouldn't get much sleep that night, as images of the Uchiha massacre swam through her mind.

* * *

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	2. The Hard Truth

I hope you all enjoy! More to come soon. You know what they say-good things come to those who wait!

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* * *

Kakashi walked through the busy city streets, usual orange book in place. People stared at him but he ignored them. Most were civilian women. They would see him approach, a large smile plastered on their stupid faces. However, as soon as they saw what he was reading their smiles would slip away, quickly replaced by a disgusted scowl. It's funny how quickly people will judge someone they don't know. In less than ten seconds, they go from deciding his appearance is interesting enough for a friendly smile to thinking he is the biggest prevent in the entire village. It didn't bother him though. On the contrary, the public was why he kept this book out in the first place.

He hated confrontation. Before he began carrying his book around, women would stop him all the time. Not only them but all sorts of people would catch his attention. Most of the time he found they wanted things from him.

"Kakashi, come try my new recipe."

"Kakashi, come check out this new weapon I got in."

"Sir, I'd love to accompany you to dinner."

When he was younger and just started to become acknowledged as a shinobi, he loved the attention. As time went on, however, he became tired. He didn't mind helping people out once in a while but pretty soon it got so bad that he couldn't even make it to his destination without getting stopped by someone asking him to do some deed. Even the women began to bother him. He never thought that would happen in a million years. Who wouldn't like a bunch of women asking for your time constantly? At first, he was thrilled. He went on a new date every week.

That was the problem though. All the women were the same. They all wanted someone to talk to about themselves. Kakashi couldn't remember a single time he was ever asked about himself. He wasn't much of a talker and he never really had much to say but he supposed it would be nice to have someone care about what was going on with him. Hell, he didn't even expect them to care, just them asking would be enough. Really, sitting in comfortable silence was more his style. All women seemed to like to chatter on and on about the trivial events within their lives.

This brought his thoughts to the annoying pink-haired woman he was on his way to see. She used to fall in the category he placed most other women. Self-absorbed, dependent, whiny, helpless, and most of all naïve. It seemed harsh when he thought about it now because she had grown into the opposite of those things. She was now one of the most caring, independent, self-less, and thoughtful people he knew. In fact, she was probably one of the only women he had ever cared for so deeply. It was because of the things they had been through, of course. He had watched her grow from being just a little genin girl with her head in the stars to the top level shinobi she was today. He spent most of his free time in her company when he could because she was one of the only people he felt comfortable with.

Starting around the time Naruto left, Kakashi decided it was time he focused on helping Sakura train. It helped keep both of their minds off of the two missing boys. He realized that he had never grown as close with Sakura or her with him because of the wall they each kept around themselves. After Naruto and Sasuke weren't around to focus on, he realized how he had neglected the female member of his team. He felt terrible and decided to reach out to her. They began leaning on each other for support and slowly that wall began to fall away. Now it was like there was never a wall to begin with. Sometimes he would visit Sakura on her lunch break at the hospital and they would go up to the roof. He would bring her something shareable like dango or rice balls that he would pick up on the way. They would sit there and eat, usually in mostly silence, staring down at the village below. They'd talk a little and then Kakashi would leave, letting Sakura get back to work. It wouldn't seem like much to anyone else, but it was one thing Kakashi looked forward to in between stressful missions. Sakura had a way of calming him that he couldn't explain.

He realized he had just been staring at the same page for most of the journey, thoughts drifting here and there, mostly focusing on Sakura as he was on his way to meet her. He found that when he carried this book, he didn't have to make eye contact with anyone trying to catch his attention and it rid him of the random women hitting on him. It allowed him to seek out people only when he felt like it. Though, occasionally someone would still manage to distract him.

Unfortunately for Kakashi, usually this person was Genma.

"Hey Kakashi!" Genma said, reaching to snatch the little orange book out of his hand. However, Kakashi was too quick, slipping the book into his pouch before Genma could try another attempt. Genma stopped in Kakashi's path, forcing the copy-nin to come to a halt. He stared up at the masked man, a mischievous grin spreading across his face.

"Where is a busy man like yourself off to in the middle of the day?" He asked, a knowing look on his face. Kakashi ignored him, moving to walk around his friend. He knew he could easily escape if he tried but it was too much effort. Besides, he liked Genma's company. Usually. Genma smirked, following along beside his silver haired friend. "Ya know, I invited you out to the bar the other night but you never showed. I had a total babe waiting for you, too. She was really disappointed when she realized you weren't coming."

Kakashi kept walking, making no indication he had heard the senbon sucking man.

"You haven't been yourself lately, Kakashi," Genma drawled on. "A certain pink haired medic wouldn't have anything to do with that would she?"

Kakashi's eye twitched. He suddenly had the urge to shove that senbon farther down his beloved friend's throat. Besides Naruto, Genma was the only person alive who could still annoy him to the point of physical pain. However, he kept on walking, still pretending as though he hadn't heard anything Genma had said.

Genma just laughed harder at Kakashi's silence. They walked on until they neared the hospital. Before they got there Genma stopped. Kakashi turned his head toward him in acknowledgment.

"Well, I know you won't show but Shizune and some of our friends are going out tonight. If by some chance you do, however, we will be at the Sake House. Stop by if you'd like." He waved turning to walk away. But then he turned his face back suddenly, the same grin from earlier plastered on his face as he walked the other way. "Oh and say hello to Sakura for me."

Kakashi kept walking.

* * *

Sakura sat upon the roof of the hospital utterly exhausted. 'If Kakashi doesn't get here soon, I'm going to fall asleep,' She thought to herself. Yawning, she walked over to the edge and peered down into the street. To her relief, she saw the spiky silver hair of her ex-teacher approaching below. With slight surprise, she noted he wasn't carrying his usual orange book. 'He's been full of surprises lately,' She thought, thinking back on all the time they have been spending together.

Still, he was something of a mystery to her. He spent a lot of time in her company, but she felt as though she still knew nothing about him at all. She knew his teammates had both died a long time ago and that's why he visited the memorial stone every day, making him late to nearly everything. She also knew his father had been a very powerful shinobi once but had been shunned due to a decision to save his teammates and compromise a very important mission. He had commited suicide, leaving deep scars on Kakashi's mental state. However, since then Kakashi has accepted what his father had done was right and came to terms with his death.

Even through this, she still couldn't tell what he was thinking half the time. He kept to himself even when she tried to dive deeper. She was pretty sure that she was closer to him than most if not all of the people he considered friends. She knew it was all because of their history together. They shared so much pain that they understood each other. But he still had a lot more pain than she did. She wished she could help him but she knew just being a shoulder to lean on was more than he has ever expected from anyone.

Occasionally, however, he would break free of his permanent safe zone and tell her if something was really bothering him. It was rare but it assured her that she was the closest person to him. He was the closest person to her as well, with Naruto gone away. She would tell him things that she would never dare saying out loud to others, not even Tsunade. But most of the time they liked just sitting in each other's company. She thought she was going crazy when for his birthday, she had gotten him a gift she never would have in her younger days. Much to her surprise as well as his, she had gotten him the latest version of Icha Icha for his last birthday. It really made her realize how much had changed between them lately and also how much she had changed because of his friendship as well.

She never thought she would see the day where that habit of his wouldn't bother her. But now that she was older she understood it a lot more. It wasn't just that he was a pervert (because he kind of still was) but she realized it was more of a distraction for him than anything. Not only that but she had actually read a few copies herself at this point. She had been curious what he found so interesting about them and now she knew. They were extraordinarily well written and the plot was pretty interesting she had to admit. She wasn't really into fiction, nevermind stories based entirely around sex, but there was a lot more to them. The plot line was actually very deep when you looked past all of the provocative themes.

When Kakashi had unwrapped his gift, his eyes had nearly popped out of his head. When he had asked her why she would buy him something she hates so much she had merely shrugged and told him she didn't think they were all that bad based on the ones she had read. His eye had grown wide and he kept blinking slowly, while his mouth opened and closed behind his mask. She had waved her hand in front his face to snap him out of the trance but he seemed to be stuck like that. It took a solid five minutes of her shouting his name to bring him out of it. He was astonished that she had read them. He had told her that he had never met a women who had read them and enjoyed them before and that she was "one of a kind."

Sakura had blushed at the time, not used to compliments from her ex-teacher but she was glad she had gotten him a present he actually wanted. It seems weird that a book could break away his shell, but ever since he seemed much more relaxed in her presence. It was strange but she really appreciated his company. She used to think it was for her sake he came around but now she was sure it was for his as well.

She was resting with her head propped up on her hands and elbows on the half stone wall over-looking the street below when he came up behind her. She had been lost in thought so when he cleared his throat she jumped. "ANBU shouldn't be caught off guard so easily, Sakura," He said in a mocking tone. She rubbed the back of her head sheepishly in total Naruto style. "You're right, I was totally lost in thought. I didn't even hear the door close when you came up," She said. He gave her his famous eye crinkle and held out the take out box for her to take.

At the sight of food her stomach growled loudly. Taking the box, she ripped it open quickly revealing the sticks of dango within. Without waiting for Kakashi, she reached in and took hers, taking her first bite as she handed the box back to him. She let a quiet moan escape her lips as she savored the flavor. She could tell they were from her favorite stand. When she opened her eyes, Kakashi was staring at her, dango in hand. He had a look in his eye she hadn't seen before. She was about to ask what was wrong when his features returned to normal and he moved to lean against the wall next to her.

She watched him for a minute, confused. However, she didn't have long left of her break and she was starving so she turned back to her dango and began to scarf the rest of it down. 'What was that strange fire behind his eyes? He never looked at me like that before,' she thought to herself, perplexed.

As she finished up, she looked over at her former teacher. He was just pulling his mask up into place as she looked, completely finished with his dango. It was funny, as close as they were, he still didn't like her to see his face. Of course, she had seen it before. Only twice though and both times were on a mission while she treated him for a huge gash he received across his left cheek. It extended from his ear all the way to under his eye. It had been bloody and extremely swollen so she still wasn't here sure what he completely looked like. It was as if he was using that piece of cloth as the last wall between them.

She knew he liked to be formal. They were, after all, still teacher and student. But it seemed silly to her now. They've been through so much together that she wouldn't care if he was missing half of his face under there, as long as he was still him. She supposed he just didn't feel that way though, so she respected his wishes and let him have privacy while he ate.

After they were done, they sat in silence for a bit. The wind blew softly through her hair and it blew in front of her face. Kakashi was watching her and before she could reach up and brush it away herself, his hand was there doing it for her. She froze and watched him. The look on his face was serious as he tucked the strand behind her ear. She blushed and he smiled turning away.

'What the hell has gotten into me today?' He thought to himself as he turned away. He never had such an urge to kiss her as he did earlier. She had made that little noise in the back of her throat and the sun was shining right on her face as she tipped her head back. She looked so beautiful he almost forgot himself. And now her hair had looked so soft as it blew in the wind he couldn't stop himself from touching it. 'What the hell is wrong with you. She is your student and nearly half your age. Pull yourself together!' He thought to himself as looked over the rooftop past Sakura. He couldn't help but feel maybe Genma was right and he needed to get out tonight.

'What… was that?' Sakura thought to herself, confused. He had never been the type to touch her so openly. Naruto had always been that type of person but Kakashi was pretty much the exact opposite. She knew she shouldn't feel so surprised; she was becoming close with him. He just had never done anything like that before.

Taking a deep breath, she collected herself. She cleared her throat, causing Kakashi to look at her. "I wanted to talk to you about last night," she said. Kakashi's face turned serious as he began to listen more intently. This was the reason he had wanted to meet with her today originally, after all.

"The scroll we retrieved had been missing from the Hokage's private library. There are seven missing in total. I'm not sure about the information contained within them but the Hokage seemed to feel they are important. They are all from the time of the Third Hokage disbanding Root," she explained.

Kakashi nodded. He had expected as much, but he waited patiently for Sakura to continue.

"However, there are more scrolls missing so if the Hokage finds what is contained within one interesting, I have no doubt in my mind that we will be sent back in to retrieve more," Sakura continued. "Especially because the mission went so smoothly."

With the last sentence, her eyebrows drew together, causing a worried crease between her eyes. Kakashi noticed and became concerned. 'There's something she isn't telling me,' he thought to himself, watching her facial expressions change with the conflict.

She thought back on the mysterious chakra she had felt in Danzo's compound. There was no way to explain where it wouldn't seem like she imagined it. She didn't want Kakashi to think she was too unskilled to complete these types of missions alone.

He nudged her foot with his and she jumped, coming out of her thoughts. He smiled warmly, making his eye crinkle again. "I think I know you well enough to know when somethings bothering you, Sakura. You can tell me," he reassured her.

She stared into his eye, still unsure. She trusted him more than anyone and she knew she was being silly for worrying about what he thought. But still, she couldn't explain it. However, if she didn't get someone else's opinion she would go crazy thinking about it. 'Well.. Here goes nothing,' she thought.

"Well… Something happened on the mission that I didn't report," she started, unsure. Immediately Kakashi tensed, worried. His facial expression became serious. "What happened, Sakura," he said, all of his relaxed mood now gone.

"While I was in Danzo's library, right as I was about to leave, I felt…." She paused, thinking. "I guess it was a _flash_ of chakra. It pulsed through me for a quarter of a second and then it was gone. It wasn't a chakra I recognized and I couldn't send mine out in search of it, especially since I couldn't tell what direction it came from." A troubled look crossed her face. "I'm nearly positive the library was empty but it was so large I suppose it's possible someone hid far from me. I don't know how I could've missed them."

Kakashi watched her begin to chew her thumbnail, a nervous habit she had. His breathing had become shallow as he listened to her story. 'Shit...' He couldn't help but think as she finished. He knew it was highly unlikely that she would have imagined such a thing. What is for sure is that someone was trying to hide their location from her. But who? Why would they want to hide themselves instead of confronting her directly? He couldn't say for sure but one thing was obvious: Danzo knows they were there. He knew it was probably too much to hope that he didn't know for what. And to think it was Sakura who went in. Sure, she wore her mask but the pink hair was a dead give-away. Even more than his own spiky silver hair. He didn't know what it meant yet but he was positive it couldn't be anything good.

He sighed and she looked up. At first, she thought he was going to yell at her but then she saw the reassuring look on his face. "Don't worry about it Sakura," he said. "Whoever it was probably reported back to Danzo but without proof of what exactly we took it won't matter. After all, you said the library was huge with no organization, right?"

She thought back to the massive, dungeon-like room. She nodded, deep in thought, agreeing with him. She thought of the scrolls piled on the floor and tables. "No, it definitely was not organized, that's for sure."

"We'll deal with it if the time comes. For now, we will get Sai to try and receive any information on the inside. It won't be much use with that seal on his tongue, but he might be able to confirm or deny if Danzo knows anything. It wouldn't really be telling us anything we don't already know," Kakashi suggested.

Sakura nodded glumly. She hated asking Sai for anything else. He had been so willing to help them bring Sasuke back for nothing in return. And he didn't even really know him. She was sure he would do this for her, but she still felt bad asking. She felt better after talking to Kakashi about it, but there was still all of the information about the Uchiha clan. She knew she shouldn't say anything for the same reason she didn't tell the Hokage. He'd be worried about her emotional state, dwelling on the Uchiha of all clans. However, she felt as though Kakashi were different than the Hokage in that he missed Sasuke too.

Hesitating, she looked into Kakashi's one visible eye. He stared back and raised an eyebrow. She sucked in a breath for her nerves and dove in. "There's something else," she said uncertainly. "I've found more information in the library as well." Kakashi turned toward her, crossing his arms across his chest. He didn't say anything but she knew he was waiting for her to continue. She looked around, checking to see if anyone else had come up without her notice. They were still alone.

"I'm not _technically_ allowed to read the information contained within the scrolls," she said with a sheepish grin. Kakashi smirked, knowing how Sakura couldn't resist getting her hands on new information. He wasn't surprised she took advantage of the opportunity. "While Shizune was helping me, we discovered a whole section of the library dedicated to clan dealings and politics. We began organizing them by clan when I dismissed Shizune's help. The Hokage needed her more than I did and I wanted to be alone with the scrolls for a bit. I had never intended to get as involved as I did."

Kakashi listened intently, never saying a word. Unfortunately, he had a sick feeling he knew which direction this conversation was heading.

"I skimmed a lot of the scrolls, especially those of the Hyuuga clan. It was all so interesting. However, the clan I really wanted to know about was the Uchiha." At the mention of the name, she broke eye contact, looking out across the village toward the compound of the clan in question. Kakashi looked along with her, noting the entrance and front walls were just barely visible. "There was a lot of interesting information I discovered but nothing in particular jumped out at me. It was all things I had pretty much already known. Until I got to the more recent scrolls."

She paused taking a breath and considering how to go on. "Kakashi… Did you know the clan was forced to move into their compound after the nine-tailed fox demon attacked the village?" She looked up at him and already knowing the answer based on the look in his eye. "Yes," he said, face stony. She nodded once, continuing on, "After that, there were many more reports indicating growing tension between the village and the clan. There were more altercations within the clan as well. This fluctuated up and down throughout the years between the attack and the massacre."

Now she turned toward the view of the village. Pointing toward the compound she let her eyes close. "On the night I discovered that the Uchiha had been forced to move into their own compound away from the village, I decided to visit it. I'm not sure why but I thought I would find out more information by visiting. Why would the Uchiha, one of the most prominent clans, be moved to the outer-most section of the village unless they were being blamed for the attack or part of it?"

Kakashi was surprised that she visited the compound. He had thought that would be the last place she would want to go. He had visited the compound as well after Sasuke had left. It was a gloomy place, filld with the Uchiha ghosts. When he had gone he couldn't help thinking to himself that he understood why Sasuke was always so haunted. And that maybe it would've done the boy good to have moved him to a new part of the village so he wouldn't dwell on the empty homes of his dead family. It was too late to do anything about, of course. Sasuke had already left and Kakashi doubted even if he hadn't that he would've moved out anyway. Just being there had made Kakashi depressed, he could only imagine how Sakura felt.

She turned to him, making eye contact. He was startled to see how sad she looked. "I wandered around for a bit," she continued. "I ended up at Sasuke's house. I don't know what brought me there but once I was there I couldn't leave. I just stared up at his big empty house for a long time. Finally, though I decided to go inside. At first I thought it would be intrusive but I couldn't stop myself."

Kakashi reached out and put his hand on her arm for comfort. She gave him a small smile, turning back to the village. "It was weird being in that house. I looked around some but then I got the sudden urge to leave. I couldn't take the feeling of sadness that washed over me being among his things. So I ran to get out but got lost. Next thing I know, I'm standing in a bedroom. It was a bedroom like any other, plain floors, plain furniture, ANBU clothing hanging in the closet, forgotten…"

Kakashi inhaled. He now had an idea of why she was telling him this. "Itachi?" He asked, already knowing the answer. She nodded.

"I thought it was odd how extremely normal his room was, given that he murdered his own family. But then I remembered you telling me he was an amazing shinobi. A genius, actually. So after I had left, I went to the library, curious about the person that had killed Sasuke's clan. I hadn't expected to find much, really. I just wanted a little insight into his life, I guess. Maybe that's weird, but I couldn't help myself. You know me, once I get something on my mind I can't stop thinking about it until it's solved."

Kakashi did know. There weren't very many mysteries Sakura didn't solve. When a problem arose, whether it was here at the hospital, out on a mission, or during training, she would find an answer. Even if it took her longer than she had hoped.

"But while I was searching, I had found more than I expected. There was a mission report that I had read that really confused me. Up to that point, Itachi seemed to be the perfect shinobi. Flawless missions, perfect technique, assertive, everything you need from an ANBU. But he had messed up during a mission and the leader had said it had something to do with 'stress outside of the mission'. It just seemed strange, after so many mission that had gone flawless. What could have been bothering Itachi so much that he messed up?" She said, eyebrows furrowed.

Kakashi didn't like where this was going. She shouldn't be so concerned with such things. What did it matter anyway? It was over with and they both knew what happened. He ended up murdering his entire clan. Obviously he wasn't the perfect, loyal shinobi everyone had thought he was. They already knew this though. Why was she getting so caught up in the details? He watched her chew away at her fingernail, clearly trying to work something out. Upon closer inspection, though, he noticed all of the fingernails were nearly chewed off. Which means, this has been bothering her for some time now. He couldn't help but worry. 'I hope she isn't getting too sucked into the Uchiha files. It will affect her emotional state again. Damn you, Itachi.' He thought to himself, miserably.

She went on to tell him about the information she found from the clan meetings. Kakashi had to admit, it was weird how the clan argued about Itachi's importance in ANBU. It was almost as if they were treating him like he was betraying them. It did make it seem like the Uchiha were holding some type of grudge against the village. But what? Could it all have been over the village moving them to their own compound? Or something else?

After she was finished, Sakura stared at her white medical shoes, her brow never un-furrowing. She was very bothered by the facts she uncovered. In truth, it was all she could do to keep up her work. Every spare second she got, her mind drifted to the Uchiha clan. The nightmare she had the night before kept replaying in her head. She pictured the slaughter of the clan, done at Itachi's hands. It was a nightmare she had before. Itachi relentlessly slaying his family as they screamed and cried. The entire time he kept a straight face, no remorse filling his haunting red eyes. She had woken at 3 AM, a mere 2 hours after having fallen asleep. Really, it was a wonder she was still functioning at this point.

As she stifled a yawn with her hand, the door to the roof flew open. A woman in a hospital uniform ran out, looking around frantically. When spotting Sakura, she ran over. Sakura stood up straighter, beginning to button up her lab coat. Before the girl could even reach them, Sakura was hurrying toward her. She waved quickly to Kakashi, yelling that she would see him later. He held up a lazy hand in acknowledgment and poofed away. The girl was breathing heavy when Sakura got to her. "Ms. Haruno, a team just came in badly injured from a mission. You are needed in the emergency wing." Sakura nodded and picked up the pace.

* * *

Kakashi poofed away from the roof of the hospital to his apartment. It was rare he got an afternoon off but he wasn't going to complain. Before their mission the previous night, he had been away for a week on a different one. He plopped down on his couch, slipping off his sandals in the process.

He sighed, grabbing the newest Icha Icha off of his untidy coffee table. He was looking forward to getting in some reading time. However, as hard as he tried, he couldn't get past the first paragraph. Sakura's conversation had him thinking. He hated that she was dwelling on the Uchiha clan. He knew she probably wouldn't be able to find more information on them as what they wrote was likely being filtered. They wouldn't openly write anywhere that they were having a problem with the village. He knew that this was one mystery that wasn't going to be solved by the information contained within the library. And the only person who knew what was going on within the clan at the time is part of the group of psychopaths trying to kill Naruto. After all, it was likely just coincidence that Itachi messed up on a mission at the same time they were discussing him at a meeting. Clans like that had meetings about their future leaders all the time.

He hated that she was dwelling on something so close to Sasuke. She had been doing well lately, staying positive. He knew it was hard for her, being here while her teammates were out somewhere, possibly in trouble. It made sense that she would find this interesting, trying to understand Sasuke's family life more. But all it was was curiosity, right? He hoped so.

What was troubling him more was the fact that he generally couldn't get her off of his mind in general lately. Her face filled his thoughts much more often than he would like to admit these days. Sure, they were closer now, having had to lean on each other for support. But that didn't explain the other thoughts he's been having about her. She was always a little girl to him, his student. Recently he had been noticing how much she had grown up throughout the years. Not only as a shinobi, but in looks as well. She filled out nicely, it was plain for everyone to see. He watched as guys checked her out walking down the street and how she got hit on when they went out. She was oblivious, of course, but he wasn't.

He couldn't blame them but it made him angry. He felt some need to protect her even though he knew she didn't need it anymore. But he couldn't deny that sometimes he caught himself staring at the way her shorts hugged her thin, muscular thighs just right. And how when she was training, her tank top clung to her damp skin. He was still a man, after all. She was an attractive women and he wasn't immune. He knew it was wrong though. Surely she viewed him as her teacher and that was all. He couldn't deny he was starting to develop other feelings for her as well. Sometimes he thought he didn't want to be in her presence solely because he liked her friendly company. But what was it exactly?

He knew he loved her. It wasn't surprising. But _how_ did he love her? That was more complicated. He loved her like a friend, of course. He would give his life for her and he knew she felt the same. Was it possible his feelings were developing into more? He tried not to think about it because he knew it wasn't possible. But it was uncharacteristic for him to go out of his way for someone like he did for Sakura. So much so that Genma had noticed some time ago. He sure did love reminding Kakashi of that.

Thinking of Genma, he thought back to their conversation earlier. It was true, he hadn't been out in a while. It wasn't really something he did frequently in the first place but he never did it now. He wasn't sure if seeing Sakura more was the reason or not but he had a sinking suspicion that it was. Sighing, he got up and headed to his shower. He decided then that he would go out for once to take his mind off the thoughts plaguing him.

* * *

Sakura tiredly dragged her feet as she made her way from the hospital. She had originally planned to go home but then she had turned the direction of the hokage tower. She knew she wouldn't be able to sleep thinking about the untouched scroll they had recovered last night. It was the only one with the correlating date that she hadn't read yet. 'What do you even hope to find out?' She thought to herself. She knew it probably sounded crazy when she had told Kakashi about it earlier. If she were being honest with herself it _was_ kind of crazy. But there was something inside her that just wouldn't let it go. She couldn't explain it but she felt that this was really important.

Something crossed her mind that she hadn't had time to think about after her meeting on the room with Kakashi that afternoon. She blushed as she remembered the way he looked at her when he tucked her hair away from her face. If she hadn't been so focused on telling him the details of her story she knew she would have been more flustered at the time. She had always found him attractive but he always seemed like more of a mentor-figure to her. Now that she was on his level as a shinobi, though, it was another story. He was a handsome man, of course. She had thought it was natural the way she got butterflies when they trained together or he sat too close. But then she realized, that didn't happen with other men in her life.

It had been some time since she spotted the difference. She spared with many people and none of them made her feel the way Kakashi does. She feels a sort of elated-ness just being in his presence. Even so, she would never dare do anything about it. She knew he was 'off-limits'. Part of her thought it was only because he had once been a person of power over her but she knew it was more than that. She wanted to tell him about her feeling but didn't want to ruin their relationship. He was the only person she had left who she was really close with. She couldn't ruin that, she just couldn't. But once in a while, he would do something like he had done today and she would gain hope.

However, as she walked to the library, worn down after a long shift at the hospital, she couldn't help but wonder why exactly they couldn't be together. Really who cares if everyone else thinks it's weird? They have experienced enough loss and enough heart-break to be happy. Besides, you never know how long you have to live as a shinobi. They could die tomorrow. The problem was she wasn't sure if he felt the same about her. He sent mixed emotions as most of the time he remained completely professional. But as she was walking through the streets, she made up her mind. She would tell him how she felt the next time she saw him, everyone else be damned. You only live once.

With a new found determination from her decision, she picked up the pace, a fire now under her. She finally made it to her destination, slowing to a halt in front of the heavy library doors. 'Here goes nothing,' she thought as she entered. She knew that if she found nothing in this next scroll, she would have nothing to go by to solve the mystery of what was up with Itachi and the Uchiha clan.

She walked up to the scroll she had stolen back the night before. It was much thicker than the others she had been reading. Hauling it to her table, she cleared a large space and sat down. She planned to read the whole thing in its entirety. However, as she got into it, she found it was extremely tedious. While the other one were to the point this one was detailed. It was reports upon reports of village dealings. Most of them about money lent to so-and-so and goods exchanged for so-and-so. She found her thoughts drifting to her up-coming conversation with Kakashi. He took most of her concentration as she skimmed through the scroll looking for something to catch her attention.

Her eyes were burning halfway through. The writing was small and she was exhausted. Just as she was about to call it a night, a sentence caught her attention. It read:

The Uchiha clan is under investigation by the Hokage for a report of plans of a rebellion.

She stared at the page. Rubbing her eyes, she read it again. She thought she was seeing things. She couldn't believe, that just like that, what she was looking for was written write here. She continued reading on:

The report comes from a trusted source. It is believed they are plotting against the Hokage and the village. The source has been instructed to bring any further information back to the Hokage immediately. For the time being, no action will be taken.

Sakura's head spun. 'A rebellion?' She thought. The pieces began clicking into place and she read on. The passage continued on to talk about unrelated topics once again. She went on and on and finally there was more information. She read it quickly and a gasp escaped her lips.

She stood so suddenly her chair tipped over and thudded on the floor. She ignored it. Wrapping up the scroll as tidily as she could with shaking hands she placed it on the shelf where it belonged. She backed away, heading toward the door. Her head spun more. She ran a hand through her hair, only now noticing the sweat that had formed on her forehead.

She left the Hokage tower as quickly as she could, almost forgetting to place the seal on the door to the library. Flying through the streets, she wasn't sure where her feet were taking her until she got there. She stood in front of Kakashi's apartment door. Before she could think about it, she knocked and waited. She hadn't even realized it was raining. She was soaked all the way through her medical uniform and jacket but she didn't care. It wasn't the rain that was making her shake.

Finally, the door cracked open and Sakura pushed her way inside. Kakashi grabbed her arm to stop her, surprise and confusion on his face. She pulled her arm free. He tried to say something but she cut him off. She started telling him what she had found but she stopped when she saw the look on his face. He was drunk, she was sure of it. She hadn't notice when she first pushed her way inside but now she could smell the alcohol on him. She was about to ask why he was drunk when she heard a voice behind her.

"What's going on Kaka-kun?" Came a girlish voice. Sakura froze. She turned and came face to face with a half-naked young blond girl. The girl was one of the prettiest girls Sakura had ever seen with a body to die for. Instantly, she forgot what she was there for. Her mouth turned to cotton as she stared between the two. The girl was giving Sakura the meanest look she could. Slowly, Sakura turned to the door. She felt the contents in her stomach take a violent turn. She covered her hand with her mouth and made a run for it. Kakashi reached out and called her name but she kept going. She had gotten a block before she fell to her knees. Her vision was blurred as tears poured out. She let the vomit she had been holding back come up and she curled up on the wet ground a few feet away. Shivers racked her body.

It was some time before she had the sense to get up. So long that the sun was slowly starting to lighten the sky. She crawled to her feet, shuffling the direction she knew her home to be in. Once she reached her destination, she made it to her bed. She collapsed, the information she found in the library forgotten as the pain from the encounter with Kakashi had left her completely devastated. She didn't realize how much she cared for him until then. What did she expect, really? It's not like he even knew about her feelings. But still, it felt as if she had been punched in the gut.

Exhausted, she fell into a deep dream-less sleep.

* * *

OOOOH. What did Sakura find in the scroll? Any guesses?

Much love. Reviews! Please and thank you!


	3. Parting

Hi everyone! A shorter chapter this time. Hope you enjoy!

I don't own Naruto

* * *

A band of light shown through the apartment window, illuminating Sakura's tear streaked face. She opened her eyes slowly, blinking as they adjusted to the harsh light. She sat up, shielding her face with her arm. She swung her slender legs off the side of the bed and stood sleepily. Still groggy, she stumbled over to the window and whipped the curtain closed, sealing her bedroom in darkness once more. She muttered something not completely coherent about hating mornings and fell back into bed, pulling the covers over her head. She closed her eyes, completely intending to go back to sleep. However, as her body relaxed she realized the damage was done and she was wide awake.

Groaning, she rolled over, planning to stay in bed until her mind was clear enough to function for the day. But suddenly the memories from the night before came rushing back to her all at once, making her gasp. She ripped the covers off, running to her bathroom and slamming the door behind her. Now that she remembered her encounter with Kakashi, the sadness hit her like a ton of bricks. The tremors she left behind in sleep hit her again as she attempted to splash water on her face. She grabbed the edge of the sink, feeling ill again. She took a deep breath. And then another. She looked up in the mirror at her strained face. She noted the bags under her eyes and the blood vessel she had popped in her right eye.

Sighing, she turned to her shower. She felt dirty, having laid in the street for so long. She climbed in, pulling her pale blue curtain shut and turned on the water. It came out icy cold but she barely felt it. It was like her whole body was numb. Soon it turned warm and reluctantly she began her usual routine. She knew she had a shift at the hospital today but there was no way she could go. She would tell them she was sick and it wasn't far from the truth. She may be a medic but she couldn't heal heartbreak. If she could, she would've done it long ago.

She knew she was being stupid, being so upset over Kakashi being with some other woman. Hell, he didn't even know she felt that way about him. But some part of her had hoped he had felt the same for her that she did for him. Walking in on it had been a shock to her system and it had hurt even more than if she had found out some other way. Kakashi had been the one person lately she thought she could never get sick of being around. But if he walked in her door right now she doubted she'd be able to stomach it.

When she was done washing she stood under the hot water until it ran out. Then, reluctantly, she got out, planning to head back to her bed and stay there for the rest of eternity. It wasn't until she had toweled dried and pulled pants on that she remembered the scroll. She froze as the information flooded her brain. She had been so preoccupied with Kakashi that she had forgotten why she had even gone to his apartment in the first place. Where she had been planning to wallow in misery for the for-seeable future she now had an agenda. Changed from sweats to her regular attire she practically ran back into her bedroom. She brushed her teeth and hair at record speed. She then went to her kitchen and yanked open a drawer. Inside were paper and pens. She grabbed a few sheets and sat down.

She picked up a pen and tried to calm her shaking hand. It had to look as though she wasn't in a rush. She began writing, taking care to word each sheet carefully. At the bottom she signed her name and folded the paper. On the front she wrote the name of whomever the paper was for and continued on to the next one. She got to the last one and hesitated. Deciding quickly, she jotted a brief message down and did the same as with the others. When she was done she glanced at the clock. It read 4:17PM. It would still be a few more hours until it was dark. That was good, she decided.

She went to her room and dug out her pack. It had been some time since she had left the village. She carefully went through her things, hand picking what she would need most. She tried to judge the right amount of stuff but the trouble was she didn't know when she would be back. Lastly she rummaged through her closet and pulled out her picture of team seven. She stared at it for a long time. Finally, she smiled and a new hope filled her chest. She took it out of the frame and folded it up. She placed it in bag so she could look at it from time to time.

As she finished up she glanced out the window. She had been packing for some time she realized as the sun was almost set. She picked up her pack and went over to her dresser. She kept her savings in the top drawer on the left. She pulled out the wad of money and sat on her bed to count it. It was all she had ever saved since before Naruto left. She divided the money in half and put half with the note for Tsunade and the other half she put deep in her bag. It was enough to get her through in an inn or hotel for a long time.

The half she planned to leave with Tsunade was to hold her apartment. She had already paid for the next two months in advance but she had a feeling she would be gone for much longer than that. In her note, she had told Tsunade to pay for the apartment until the money ran out which would be about 6 months. After that, her lease was up and she instructed her to sell her things if she weren't back by then. If for some reason this trip went quicker than she planned, she wanted somewhere to call home when she came back. And if not, it couldn't be helped.

She went to the kitchen and started emptying food that could spoil out of her fridge and cabinets. When she was done her shelves looked bare. They hadn't been that empty since she moved in. She threw a couple protein bars and packs of crackers into her bag along with her canteen. As she packed it up, she smiled. Naruto had gotten it for her as a birthday present. It was metal but it was painted beautifully. It had a lily painted on the front and the background was a light yellow. Since then it had seen much use and the paint was starting to wear away, revealing the silver metal underneath. Still, it brought back happy memories.

When she was done and everything was thrown away and unplugged, she took a last look around. This was the first place she had on her own and it held a special place in her heart. She grabbed her key off the hook and stepped out the door, locking it behind her. She placed the key above the doorframe like she had told Tsunade in her note. By now it was dark and the street lights were on. It wasn't late enough for people to be in bed yet and a few were walking casually down the street. She shouldered her pack and began heading for the Hokage tower. As she made her way there, she got an idea and switched course.

She walked slowly, watching her village settle down for the night. Normally she was in a rush and never took time to appreciate the beauty of it. The buildings were mostly all old with intricate architecture. The people she passed were laughing among each other, happy smiles on their faces. It was warm and children walked with their mothers, oogling the shops as they passed. The smells of the restaurants and stands she passed were divine and she knew she would miss the cuisine.

She took it all for granted most of the time, the comfort of home. Only when she got back from long missions did she ever really appreciate it. A small smile spread across her face as she reached her destination. Ichiraku stood bright and lively against the emptying street. She walked up and took her usual seat. The young woman, Ayame, greeted her politely by name got to work making her favorite ramen. She folded her arms on the counter as she waited. Ichiraku was a place she normally avoided but it was one of the places she missed when she is away from home. It made her sad to come here after Naruto left but once in a while she still stopped. She felt it was right to stop tonight before she left considering she wouldn't be home for a while.

Ayame placed the steaming bowl in front of her. The smell made her stomach growl. Up to this point she had been feeling queasy, the prospect of her travels and the events of the previous night weighing on her. However, she hadn't eaten since lunchtime the day before and she needed energy to get far from the village by the next morning. She didn't think the Hokage would send a party looking for her but she couldn't be sure. She had to cross the Land of Fire's border as quickly as she could manage. She ate slowly so when she was done the streets where quiet and deserted. She paid for her meal and with a friendly smile she set off.

Now she headed to the Hokage tower, determination setting in with every step.

* * *

Tsunade awoke in the morning with a pounding headache. Groaning, she sat up, clutching her head. She had gotten drunk the night before and Shizune practically had to drag her to her room. She pressed some chakra into her head at her temples, relieving the pressure for the headache some. She stood, looking at the time. It was much later than she intended getting up. As usual.

Shizune used to try and wake her but had long since given up. Tsunade was feisty in the morning and there were more than a couple times Shizune had very nearly received a kunai to the face, chest, back or throat. She had narrowly avoided each outburst but decided it was best if she didn't push her luck any longer. Now she just waited patiently in the Hokage's office with a hot cup of tea and some form of breakfast.

Tsunade quickly groomed herself in her bathroom mirror, telling herself she would shower later. She slipped into her usual outfit and headed out the door. She approached her office and noticed with annoyance that there was more than one chakra signature waiting for her inside. She pushed her way inside, not even bothering to greet whoever was waiting for her. She went to her desk and reached for the steaming cup of tea. Once the cup was drained she looked up to meet the eyes of those who required her attention.

Her brow raised in surprise that it was Kakashi standing before her at this hour of the morning. Behind him stood Shizune, Tonton in her arms. On both of their faces were serious looks. Tsunade brow furrowed. She became instantly concerned, her early morning mood shifting to a serious one. In half a second she went from being a hungover woman coming into work to the serious and concerned leader of the village. She stood, resting her hands on the desk, trying to prepare for whatever news they were about to give her.

"Well? Let's hear it," she said, a sour tone to her voice.

Kakashi stepped forward, holding out a folded piece of paper for the Hokage to take. She reached out and grabbed it, perplexed. On the front was Kakashi's name written in large, neat script. The Hokage's brows furrowed. She quickly opened the page and found the same familiar writing on the inside. It was short and to the point but Tsunade's heart flipped. The note read:

 _Kakashi,_

 _I'm sorry about the other night. If you're reading this, I'm already gone. I am going to look for Naruto. Don't come after me._

 _Sakura_

Tsunade re-read the letter a few more times. Finally, she swore, crumpling the paper in her hand. 'Damn you, Sakura,' she thought. She knew Sakura was having a hard time without Naruto but she had thought the girl was coping better with Kakashi around. She had tried to keep the copy-nin around because Sakura was much happier when he was. But it looked as though it wasn't enough. Then Tsunade got worried. Sakura had said, 'Sorry about the other night."

She glanced up at the silver haired man in front of her. He had a look on his face she'd rarely seen. He looked pained, his eye bloodshot from obvious lack of sleep. Something has obviously been bothering him. Then she knew.

"Kakashi, what happened between you and Sakura?" She asked sternly.

Kakashi ran a hand up through his silver hair. His eye became clouded with emotions. It was a while before he found words. Finally, he managed to speak. "She… The other night. I went out with  
Genma and had a few drinks. I thought it would be good for m but.."

He struggled, getting choked up. Tsunade was taken aback. Kakashi was not an emotional person. Whatever had happened between him and Sakura must have been bad. The Hokage took a seat, resting her elbows on the desk. She motioned for him to continue.

He took a deep breath and sighed. "She had come by my apartment urgently that night. But… I wasn't exactly.. Alone." He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

Tsunade closed her eyes and nodded. That explained it. Sakura left to get away from Kakashi. She had known about her student's feelings toward the older man for some time. Sakura didn't know she knew, but she had a good eye for those types of things. She had a feeling Kakashi felt the same and figured it was only a matter of time before they realized it themselves. But it seems things took a much different route.

It made sense to her, though. Kakashi was the only string attaching her to Konoha and keeping her away from Naruto. If it wasn't for him Tsunade knew she would've left a long time ago.

Shizune stepped forward, drawing Tsunade's attention to her. She had another note in her hand, this one with the Hokage's name on the front. She took it and opened it carefully. Now knowing what to expect, she read the note slower, taking in all the details. This one read:

 _Tsunade,_

 _I am sorry to do this to you without any notice. I will be leaving the village tonight to find Naruto. I know I am needed in the hospital and on missions but this is something I must do. I hope you'll understand. I left in the middle of the night so that I couldn't be talked out of going._

 _I just wanted to assure you that I am alright. I don't want you to worry. I have all intentions of coming back to the village as soon as I can. Though it will not be for some time. I can't promise I will be bringing Naruto back with me. I am going to try but you know how he is._

 _I left money at my apartment to cover my rent until my lease is up. If at that time I am not back, I want you to sell what you can and trash the rest. The key is above my front door on the door frame._

 _I already said not to worry but there's something I need for you to know. This is very important. It won't make much sense to you now but I promise I will explain everything when I return. I am going to try to locate Sasuke through any means necessary. It is of importance that if you receive any word of my whereabouts, whether I am injured or not, do not send a team to help and/or find me. I WILL try to evade any pursuant you send and will not go willingly. Please, Tsunade. I am asking you for a favor, as a friend. I must do this alone. Try to understand._

 _No matter what you hear about me, you need to know I am loyal to Konoha to the very end. Everything I am doing is in the best interest of the village, even if others don't agree. I will not be contacting you after this letter. Know I will be thinking of you and everyone I left behind. This is goodbye for now._

 _Again, I'm sorry._

 _Sakura_

Tsunade stared at letter in her hands, hardly believing what she was reading. Sakura just left and was not coming back in the foreseeable future. She laid it down carefully and closed her eyes. She did trust Sakura but what the hell was going on? It made sense that she would want to find Naruto and escape Kakashi but… What was all this with Sasuke? For all they knew he was dead. What was really troubling was that it seemed like Sakura thought she could possibly become injured. It was always a possibility in enemy territory for shinobi. But to prepare for it had Tsunade thinking she was going somewhere dangerous. The problem was she had no idea where that could be.

She looked up at the two standing in front of her, obvious worry plaguing their expressions. She stood tiredly and made her way to the window. She knew she didn't look her age but at this moment she sure felt it. She stared out over the rooftops of the village who depended on her. She would do what Sakura asked because she trusted her and loved her like a daughter. But because she loved her, it made it that much harder not to send people after her. She sighed, feeling the weight of her troubles pressing down around her.

She spoke with a slow, tired tone to her voice. "Sakura will be alright. For now, we just have to have faith in her. She needs to do this for her own sanity. We will not be sending anyone after her." 'For now,' she thought to herself. She heard Kakashi's sharp intake of breath before the slamming of the door behind him. She knew he would take it hard. He may have messed up but he loved Sakura, she knew it. She supposed that it made it even harder for him to accept because he messed up. She felt badly but there was nothing she could do.

Shizune walked up beside her and put a hand on her shoulder, reassuringly. "She'll be alright. She tough, just like her teacher." Tsunade could only hope that she was right.

* * *

Kakashi went to the old bridge team 7 used to meet on. He didn't dare go home for fear he would trash his belongings out of anger. He knew his rage at the Hokage was misguided but he didn't care. He had expected her to send him to find Sakura with his hounds, not stand by and do nothing. He was truly mad at himself more than anything. He realized he was a fool for believing Sakura didn't have feelings for him. He could see it now, clear as day. The way she would blush when he complimented her, how she would fidget when he sat too close, and especially how she came to him about things that were bothering her. He had just written them off as her being nervous around him because he was her teacher. But then why would she come to him with any problems she had if that were the case? He had written this off as she felt comfortable after all they had been through.

None of it fit together when he laid out the facts. It should have been obvious. If it had been any other woman, he would've picked up on it. He like to think of himself as an intuitive person which made it harder for him to accept that he had missed it. When he had realized, that night at his apartment, he had immediately kicked the girl out of his house. He had brought her back with him on a drunk impulse. It was stupid, he knew. He just wanted to get thought about the rosy haired girl out of his mind so that he didn't ruin their relationship. But it ended up ruining it more, as it turned out. The next day he had been so beside himself with shame that he didn't dare find her. Had he known he wouldn't have time to apologize he would've sought her out. But now it was too late and she was gone and he couldn't tell her how he felt.

It was maddening. Finally figuring out the woman who you've been secretly falling in love with, loved you back. But only finding out because you royally fucked up. Life was ironic like that. He was so aggravated he could scream and cry at the same time. And on top of it all, he was worried sick. He knew it wasn't all because of him that she left. He was certain that the night she had come to his apartment; she had found something else in the Hokage's library. He was sure of it. Whatever it was, had her concerned. He saw it in her face before she had realized what was going on.

Truly his heart was broken. Whatever relationship they had had crumbled when she left. His heart felt like it had shattered into a million pieces. He had let her down and he hated himself for it. Even as he sat there, his anger was turning into devastating sadness. It was not a new feeling for him but he still wasn't used to it. He knew he didn't deserve someone like her. Miserably, he decided he would have to let her go. 'She deserves someone who will cherish her, not someone who takes home cheap bar whores,' he thought to himself. As he stared into the depths of the water below, a single tear rolled down his cheek and was swallowed up by the river below.

* * *

Sakura kept running. She knew she couldn't go on much longer but she had to get as far as she could. She wanted to think Tsunade would respect her request but also knew there was still a chance she wouldn't. Sakura dreaded the thought of having to face Konoha shinobi and risk being classified a traitor. But she would do what she had to do. This had to be done.

She ran on and on, through dense forest, then flowing fields, along boulder lined cliffs, and on top of a fast flowing river. Finally, her chakra was nearly depleted. She stepped off the top of the water surface and looked around. The burn in her legs couldn't be ignored any longer. She plopped down on a patch of grass and took out a protein bar. She had it out of the wrapper and swallowed within seconds. She noticed there was an overhang to the cliff above her a few feet away. Slowly, she eased her muscles into a standing position again. She dragged her pack along, into the shade and managed to sit back down. That was about all she did before exhaustion took over.

Feeling fairly confident the river would take away any trace of her scent, she eased her back against the stony cliff wall and fell asleep.

She awoke some time later to the crack of thunder overhead. She opened her eyes as a bolt of lightning lit up the dark night sky. She was thankful that she had moved into shelter because the rain was pounding down heavily. It was pitch black out with the moon lost far behind the storm clouds. She could barely make out the river not far in front of her. If she couldn't hear it, she might have thought it disappeared. The only light source was the occasional flash of lightning.

Pulling her knees up to her chest, she winced. It must have been some time since she had fallen asleep because her muscles were stiff. She placed her hand on one thigh at a time, allowing a small flow a chakra to seep in and soothe the muscles and rid them of some of the lactic acid that had built up from her intense run. She was grateful for her medical ninjutsu then, having soothed her legs enough to be able to stand. Feeling pretty hidden under the overhang plus in the dark, she stripped off her outter laying of clothing. She laid them out in the rain for a while, allowing the cool water to wash away the sweat and dirt she had accumulated during her journey.

In the morning she planned to take a quick dip in the river if the current was safe enough. For now she was content with the cool stormy breeze against her skin. She sat in the dark for a while, listening to the rain fall on the river. The sound of water had always soothed her. It was rare to have storms at home in the heart of the Land of Fire. But every once in a while it would pour. Those were her favorite days.

She allowed herself to think about those she left behind now. She felt guilty leaving so quickly but it couldn't be helped. She was quite certain she couldn't handle seeing Kakashi before she left. She knew she would have to forget about her feelings for him. She felt stupid for thinking she had a chance with him in the first place. Why would he want a little girl like you when he could easily have anyone in the village? She had thought to herself during her journey. She couldn't help but feel like she was still the naïve little genin girl she used to be.

After a while, the storm began to fade and not long after the sun began to rise. She stood and stretched, stepping out in the early morning sunlight. She watched as the river roared past, swollen from the heavy rain, and decided against trying to bathe in it for fear she would be swept away. She did clean herself up the best she could and then pulled her damp clothes over her head.

Sitting on the ground, she dug through her bag. She pulled out the map she had packed and began searching it. She found her approximate location pretty easily. Somewhat surprised, she noted she had traveled even farther than she had originally thought. It made sense she had crossed over the fire border and was nearing Kusagakure. The land was known for having many deep ravines with rivers, such as the one she was in now. She thought it had looked familiar, as she was pretty sure she was near the Tenchi Bridge. She remembered it from their mission to trick Kabuto into thinking he was meeting with Sasori.

It was exactly where she wanted to be. Konoha shinobi wouldn't cross over the border so as long as she didn't run into any Hidden grass shinobi, she was good. It was her intention to avoid all hidden villages if possible. She wasn't wearing her leaf headband but she knew she was easily recognizable. She assumed by this time her name would probably be in many bingo books and she wanted to avoid unnecessary confrontation. She charted a route she could take to her first destination, memorizing it before putting the map back into her bag. As she did, she opened the front pouch. She took out the folded picture and opened it. She stared at her teammates faces with determination.

She placed safely back in her bag when she was done. 'Wherever you are, I will make things right and bring you home. I promise.' She said as started on her way.

* * *

As always, thank you so much for reading.

Next chapter we find out more about Sakura's plan. Stay tuned!

Reviews? Please and thank you!


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